Blackbird Origins--Really???
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Maybe I'm wrong, but I seem to remember an interview decades ago in which McCartney said that other people wanted to connect "Blackbird" to the Civil Rights Movement. And yet, the story now is that that's the inspiration for the song.
I know that he has always been supportive of the oppressed and against racism. I don't doubt that he believes that's why he wrote the song.
Am I misremembering the interview? Or is he reinventing the past? This isn't a rhetorical question. I'm hoping someone is more knowledgeable about this than I am.
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@keevy I never heard the “civil rights” story until YEARS after 1968! I think Paul may have decided it was a good spin to put on the song years later. Then again, what do I really know?
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I tend to agree. The story has gained legs, but that was never my early recollection of the song's meaning/purpose. But... I don't know.
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Now, for a McCartney concert.... I would love a Blackbird/Bluebird mix, followed by Tug of War/Pipes of Peace.
I reckon Bluebird is as good as Blackbird. Both wonderful.
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@njr said in Blackbird Origins--Really???:
@keevy I never heard the “civil rights” story until YEARS after 1968! I think Paul may have decided it was a good spin to put on the song years later. Then again, what do I really know?
I agree too.
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@toris said in Blackbird Origins--Really???:
Now, for a McCartney concert.... I would love a Blackbird/Bluebird mix, followed by Tug of War/Pipes of Peace.
I reckon Bluebird is as good as Blackbird. Both wonderful.
Agree!
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You could probably put together a playlist of all of his songs with animal titles or images.
Single Pigeon, Bluebird, Blackbird, I Don't Know (crows at my window), Martha My Dear, Wildlife, Junior's Farm (sea lion), etcetera...
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Thanks to the moderator for moving this post. I'll be more careful to get things in their proper place next time.
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@keevy
Jenny Wren is another very good "Bird themed" song too. -
@keevy said in Blackbird Origins--Really???:
You could probably put together a playlist of all of his songs with animal titles or images.
Single Pigeon, Bluebird, Blackbird, I Don't Know (crows at my window), Martha My Dear, Wildlife, Junior's Farm (sea lion), etcetera...
Don’t give BJ any ideas. Whoops, too late!
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Getting back to the original topic of this thread, I'm pretty sure I never heard him talk about Blackbird being connected to civil rights till the last 20 years or so. But he certainly did speak about support for civil rights. A while back I found a 1966 interview in which he talked about the Beatles refusing to play a segregated venue in Florida on their first U.S. tour, and calling racial segregation "stupid." I don't remember anything like the OP said they remembered. And I definitely don't remember anyone else trying to connect Blackbird to the civil rights movement.
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@bruce-m said in Blackbird Origins--Really???:
Getting back to the original topic of this thread, I'm pretty sure I never heard him talk about Blackbird being connected to civil rights till the last 20 years or so. But he certainly did speak about support for civil rights. A while back I found a 1966 interview in which he talked about the Beatles refusing to play a segregated venue in Florida on their first U.S. tour, and calling racial segregation "stupid." I don't remember anything like the OP said they remembered. And I definitely don't remember anyone else trying to connect Blackbird to the civil rights movement.
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@keevy
I had a bootleg ages ago (still do, likely. I must dig it up!), featuring a chat between Paul and Donovan, I'm assuming from '68, '69. Between jokes and asides, Paul performs "Heather" (an ode to the wee one) and "How Do You?" ('...sitting in a double decker SHOE - I dunNO...how you do. Don't know how you do it, lordy knows, I've tried' -- does this ring a bell, anyone..?) and at some point, Donovan requests "Blackbird", to which Paul replies along the lines, 'I wrote it for Diana Ross; she took offence.' They giggle.All that to say, who really knows the story behind 'Blackbird'? Not even Mr. Owl can crack that.
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@keevy @krystlewarren Argh! Poor memory! He said he sang it to Diana Ross; she took offence "Not really ;)."
And he states there and then that it was inspired by race riots in The States. -
@krystlewarren That’s the Gibson Donovan took to India in 1968. I have a 1967 model just like it except it’s blonde.
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@njr Wow!! That's so cool! Beautiful guitar, by the way.
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@krystlewarren said in Blackbird Origins--Really???:
@njr Wow!! That's so cool! Beautiful guitar, by the way.
Thanks! I got the guitar for my 13th birthday in May, 1968 for the princely sum (at the time) of $250! Still have it and it still sounds great!